Four fly fashion flag at Australian Fashion Week

World men head to Australia.

More than 60 designers are lined up for Australian Fashion Week, which begins next Wednesday. Among them are four New Zealand labels.

Zambesi and World are again showing their spring-summer collections during the five-day event, while new stars Cybele and Keucke are showing for the first time and hope to extend their export market.

Cybele designer Cybele Wiren is into her eighth collection and has become a favourite of the fashion industry.

A strong solo show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week in October won her two Australian stockists in Perth and Melbourne and an invitation to be the only New Zealand designer at the 2006 Shanghai International Young Fashion Designers' Showcase in China.

Dunedin-based Veronica Keucke won a place at Australian Fashion Week after taking the top title at Mercedes-Benz Start-Up New Zealand Awards in February, which gave her funding and a place in the new generation show.

She already has one account in Australia and hopes to steadily build on that.

World plans to show men's and women's clothing during the label's individual show on April 27 (its 33rd collection) while Zambesi will present its collection the following day.